Liquid fuel stove



Aug. 18, 1931. a. E. PICKUP LIQUID FUEL STOVE 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed June21, 1928 Aug. 18, 1931;

G. E. PICKUP 1,819,338

LIQUID FUEL STOVE Filed June 21. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 18,1931 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE G'IEOIR'GII'IJ E. PICKUP, OF NEWARK,OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WEI-IRLE COMPANY, OF NEWARK, OHIO, A CORPORATIONOF OHIO LIQUID FUEL STOVE Application filed June 21,

p This invention relates generally to liquid fuel stoves wherein theliquid fuel is delivered under pressure to a liquid fuel gas gen eratingdevice, and more particularly has reference to a safety device therefor.

It is a general object of the invention, to provide a novel means toprevent the overflowing or flooding of the stove with liquid fuel shouldthe fuel be permitted to flow while the stove is inoperative.

Another object is toprovide means of an advantageous character operable,upon the accumulation of a predetermined amount of liquid fuel in thefuel gas manifold, to release the pressure under which the liquid fuelis maintained, whereby further feeding of liquid fuel is immediatelyprevented.

A further object is to provide an inherently safe device of thischaracter which, after once having been actuated, positively preventsfurther operation of the stove until an operator has manually reset thedevice.

1 Another object is to provide a safety device of this general characterwhich may be economically manufactured, which is compact and neat inappearance, and in which the" soiled or oily parts need not be handledby the operator during the resetting of the trip device.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingdetailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention andfrom the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan section of the upper portion of a cookstove embodying a preferred form of the invention, showing the liquidand gaseous fuel supply lines and conduits and the control meanstherefor.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail in section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1looking in the di rection of the arrows.

v Fig. 3 is a side elevation partially in section showing the liquidfuel supply'pressure tank.

1928. Serial No. 287,059.

to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modificationsand alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of theinvention as expressed in the appended claims.

The particular form of anti-flooding device herein illustrated anddescribed, constitutes an improvement upon the device disclosed in mycopending application Serial No. 238,827, filed December 9, 1927, whichapplication contains claims generic to the herein disclosed embodimentof the invention.

The invention has reference generally to the type of cook stovedescribed in my copending application'Serial No. 161,476, filed January17,1927, in which liquid fuel is delivered under pressure from a supplytank to a gas generating means for conversion into fuel gas. Referringto the drawings, 6 designates generally a stove frame of the usual wellknown constructionhaving mounted in an open top section a fuel gasmanifold 7 leading through Various extensions 8 to a plurality ofburners (not shown) and supplied with the fuel gas from a suitable gasgenerator 9. As may be seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the gas manifold isformed, preferably near one end, to provide a relatively smalldownwardly extending pocket 10 which is, in effect, a trap within whichany liquid fuel present in the manifold will accumulate, the

- flow or flood the stove.

purpose of which will be hereinafter apparent.

The gas generator 9 may be of any suitable character, but that which isherein depicted is substantially the same as that shown and described inmy above-mentioned copending application. Briefly, said gas generatingmeans comprises a generator tube 11 arranged to receive liquid fuelunder pressure from a supply tank 12 through a pipe line 13. The tube 11is connected to the manifold 7 and the passage of fuel from the tubeinto the manifold is controlled by a needle valve of a well knowncharacter (not shown) manually operable by the handle 15.

During operation of the stove, fuel gas for combustion in the burners isgenerated in the tube 11 by means of a sectional burner 16 underlyingand extending laterally of the tube 11 and supplied with fuel gas fromthe manifold 7 through the extension 8 'An auxiliary burner 17controlled by the valve 18 is provided. for. heating the generator tube11 when a burner which heats a remote portion of the stove, such as theoven, is used and it is not desirable to operate the main generatingburner 16.

The initial lighting of the stove necessitates the use of apregenerating unit 19 positioned beneath the generator tube 11. Thisunit may be of any desired construction as for eXam ple that shown in mycopending application Serial No. 287,060, filed June 21, 1928. Thepregenerating unit 19 is directly connected by means of. a pipe 20 tothe top of the fuel tank 12, a control valve 21 being interposed nearthe tank. To start the stove the valve 21 is o-penedto permit the vaporcollected in the top of the tank to pass to the pregenerat ing unit 19where it is burned to heat the generator tube 11 and produce gastherein. The valve controlled by the handle 15 may then be opened topermit the generated fuel vapor to pass into the manifold, which vaporis immediately conducted through the manifold 7, the extension 8 to, theburner 16 and ignited by the flame from the pregenerating unit, whichmay then be shut off.

It will be apparentthat in the type of stove which has been thus fardescribed it is possiblethat during the lighting operation, a quantityof liquid fuel may readily be carried or forced into the manifold.Moreover, the valve handle 15 which controls the opening between thegenerator tube 11 and the manifold 7 may accidentally be moved and sincethe liquid fuel is fed to the generator'tube under pressure, there willbe a resulting flow of the liquid fuel into the manifold, and thence tothe burners to over- 01', in another instance, the generating burnersmay become extinguished and permit liquid fuel to pass into themanifold.

In any event, whether the liquid fuel accumulates gradually in themanifold or whether it flows rapidly thereinto, the presence of theliquid fuel in the manifold is a serious disadvantage since it maynecessitate the draining and cleaning of the manifold, extensions andburners before the stove can be used again. To overcome thisdisadvantageous feature, means has been provided in association with theliquid fuel supply tank from which the fuel is delivered to the gasgenerator under pressure, operable to prevent further feeding of fuelafter there has been an accumulation of a predetermined amount ofuuvapo-rized fuel in the manifold.

he fuel tank 12 is of a character generally well known and is securedrigidly to one side of the stove frame 6 as by suitable brackets 24. Thetank, as before mentioned, is connected with the generating tube 11 bymeans of the pipe line 13 which has the inletthereof positioned near thebottom of the tank. The tank may, if desired, be provided with variouscontrol gages such as the pressure gage 25 and a fuel gage 26 and means,such as the cut-off valve 27 may be provided in the pipe line 13 toregulate the passage of fuel from the tank.

A. cap 28 adapted to fit over the front end of the fuel tank LO form acontinuation thereof provides an enclosed chamber within which ismounted a hand pump 29. The pump of an ordinary construction adapted tobuild up a suitable feeding pressure within the tank 12 and comprises acylinder 30 within which a piston 31 reciprocates. The piston isoperated by means of a piston rod 32 pivotally secured at its outer endto a handle which is pivotally mounted, as at 34, to a suitable support,such as one of the brackets 24:, on the tank. The handle extendsforwardly of the tank and stove frame for ready manipulation by anoperator in pumping air into the tank. An air line 35 leads from thepump to acap 36 upon the upper surface of the tank, which cap alsoserves as an aperture through which the tank may be filled with liquidfuel. A valve 37, manually operable by means of a handle 38, isincorporated in the air line 35 to close the line after sufficientoperating pressure has been created in the tank.

In the embodiment chosen for disclosure a safety control devicedesignated generally as 40 is provided mounted onthe frame 6 beneath thefuel supply tank 12, which device is preferably operable to control theair pressure within the tank 12 and thereby to control the flow of fueloilfrom the tank. The safety control device 40 operates to control theair pressure in the tank 12 by opening or closing the end of a vent orexhaust passage formed by a pipe 41 connected at one end to the tank 12above the normal level of liquid therein and at the other end to anL-shaped fitting 42 mounted in fixed relation to the stove frame 6adjacent the safety device. An opening 43 extends from the pipe 41through the fitting 42 and a valve seat 44 is provided at the end ofthis opening, which seat is adapted to receive a complementary valvemember 45 movable longitudinally of the opening 43. A pair of laterallyextending bores 46 are formed in the fitting beyond the valve seat 44,(to the left in Fig. 6) so that the air may escape from the opening 43.The valve member 45 may be moved to seated position to close the ventpassage 41 and thus maintain pressure in the fuel supply tank.

Thus when the valve member 45 is maintained in operative or closingrelation to the valve seat 44, pressure may be built up in the tank 12and fuel will be fed to the generator '11 so as to provide for thecontinued operation of the stove. However, when the valve member 45 isremoved from its seat so as to open the vent passage 41, the pressurewithin the tank 12 will be exhausted and the feeding of fuelconsequently stopped.

The invention as herein illustrated provides mechanism operable normallyto maintain the valve member 45 in operative or closing relation to thevent passage 41, which mechanism is arranged automatically to open thevent in case there should for any reason be an appreciable accumulationof liquid fuel within the manifold 7. This mechanism is shown mostclearly in Figs. 3 to 6 and preferably comprises a rod 47 mounted forlongitudinal sliding movement in a bracket 48 secured by means of screws49 to the stove frame 6. The bracket 48 is formed so as to projecthorizontally outwardly from the stove frame 6 and preferably has anupwardly extending portion 50. The upwardly extending portion of thebracket has vertical side walls 51 and in one of these side walls anaperture is formed to slidably receive one end of the rod 47 Theopposite vertical side wall 51 preferably has an aperture formed thereinto slidably receive the opposite end of said rod 47, and the L-shapedcoupling 42 is connected to this side wall so as to position the valveseat 44 adjacent the end of the rod 47 and coaxial therewith.

The valve member 45 is mounted-on the end of the rod 47 so'that when therod is moved in one direction (to the right in Figs. 3, 4 and 6) thevalve member 45 will engage the seat 44 to close the vent passage 41.lVhen the rod is moved in the other direction (to the left in Figs. 3, 4and 6) the valve member is moved away from the seat 44 and the pressuremay be exhausted from the fuel tank through the laterally extendingapertures 46 in the L-shaped fitting 42.

The means for normally retaining the rod '47 in its'valve-closing orright hand position preferably comprises a lever 55 mounted for pivotalmovement about a horizontal axis positioned below the plane of the rod.To

provide such a pivotal mounting for the lever 55, a downwardly extendingarm 56 is secured on the bracket 48 and a pivot pin 57 mounted thereonextends outwardly through a suitable aperture formed in the lever 55.

In the present instance, this lever is adapted to be formed from sheetmetal and is of substantially U-shaped section as shown in Fig. 4 with acentral web and side flanges, these side flanges extending upwardlybeyond the end ofthe web to provide a bifurcated end 58 which embracesthe two sides of the rod 47. The bifurcated end 58 of the lever ispositioned longitudinallyof the rod 47 between a washer 59 which is infixed position on the rod and a second washer 60 slidably positioned onthe rod 47 on the side of the bifurcated end member.

Thus when the lever is pivoted in a counter clockwise position in Fig.4, the bifurcated end 58 thereof will engage the fixed washer 59 to movethe valve member from its seat. When the lever is moved in the oppositeor clockwise direction in Fig. 4, it engages and;

move the valve member 45 to its valve closing position and in itspreferred form this means comprises a rod slidably mounted in thebracket 48 adjacent and parallel to the valve rod 47 This rod 65 may bemounted in a manner similar to the valve rod 47 with its opposite endsprojecting through apertures formed in the opposite vertical walls 51 ofthe bracket. An abutment 66 is formed on the rod 65 to engage alaterally projecting lug 67 formed on the upper end 68 of the lever 55so that when the rod 65 is moved to the right in Figs. 4 and 6, thelever 55 will be moved in a clockwise direction t close the vent.

An expansive coil spring 70 is positioned.

about the rod 65 between the lug 67 and the side wall 51 of the bracketso as normally to urge the lever 55 injcounter-clockwise direction toopen the vent, and in order to main tain the lever 55 in its valveclosing position in opposition to the spring 70, a trip mechanism isprovided mounted on the lower end of the arm 56 and arranged to engagethe lower end 71 of the lever 55.

In its preferred form this trip mechanism comprises a'latch member 72secured on a pivot 73 which projects laterally from the arm 56 and thislatch member has a notch 74 (Fig. 4) formed inits upper edge arranged,when the end of 'the latch member is moved adjacent the valve the manualoperating rod' 65 is moved to the right tomove the lever 55 to its valveclosing position, the lower end of the lever 55 will engage a gradualcam surface 77 (Fig. 4)

formed by that portion of the latch member 72 which extends beyond thenotch/74 and will move the latch member downwardly until the end of thelever 55 passes into the notch 7-iwhereupon the weight of the float 7 5will move the latch member upwardly so that the notch will engage thelever and maintain it in its valve closing position against thecontinually acting force of the spring which tends to open the valve.

In order that the trip lever may be released when there has been anaccumulation of liquid fuel in the manifold, a cup 80 is provided whichis adapted to fit upwardly around the float 7 5 and trip mechanism intoabutment with the lower surface of the bracket 48 so as to enclosesubstantially the entire control device and form a receptacle to receivefuel from the manifold. To maintain the cup in position, a rod 81extends through the upper edges of the side walls thereof and throughdownwardly extending portions 82 formed on the bracket, this rod beingsecured in such position by means such as a threaded engagement with oneof the side walls.

A drain pipe 83 is connected at one end to a downwardly extending pocket10 formed on'the manifold 7 and is connected at the other end to afitting 84: on the bracket 48 so as to conduct the accumulated fuel fromthe manifold 7 and discharge it into the cup 80 The pipe 83 preferablyslopes upwardly from 7 its connection with the manifold so as to form aliquid trap to prevent escape of fuel gas from the manifold. A draincock 85 may be provided in the bottom of the cup so that liquid fuel maybe removed therefrom with out removing the cup.

It will be clear that when there is an accumulation of liquid fuel inthe manifold 7 it will be drained through the pipe 83 into the cup 80 soas to raise the float 7 5 and thereby release the valve and preventfurther flow of liquid fuel to the generator 11. It is impossible toplace the stove in operation after the control device has oncefunctioned until after the necessary steps have been taken to reset thedevice. Moreover, the device is simple, easy to operate, and positivelyinsures against the presence of any otherthan a very small quantity ofliquid fuel in the gas compartments of the stove. It will also beapparent that the invention provides a safety control devicewhich isneat in appearance since the operating parts are completely enclosed andin which the soiled or oily parts need notbe touched by the operatorduring the resetting of the control device.

I claim as my invention: 1. A control device comprising, in combination,a bracket adapted to be mounted in a horizontal position and having anupward extension providing vertical side walls, a cup removably securedbeneath said bracket and cooperating therewith to form a substantiallyclosed housing, a rod extending through opposite vertical side walls ofsaid extension so as to besupported and guided thereby for longitudinalsliding movement, one'end of said rod being adapted foraconnection to avalve, resilient means engaging said rod and the operator to oneposition, a latch device supported byv said bracket and operable tore'leasably secure said operater in its other position, a float operableto release said latch device, a cup removably secured beneath thebracket so as to be closed thereby and surrounding said latch device andsaid float to provide areceptacle to receive fluid for operating saidfloat, and means extending through said bracket for returning saidoperator to latched position after it has been released.

'3. A control device comprising, in combination, a supporting bracket,means on said bracket for operating a valve, said means being arrangednormally to assume one position,

.means mountedon said bracket for releasably securing said valveoperating means in another'position, a float arranged to operate saidreleasable means, and aicup adapted to be removably positioned so as toform a receptacle to receive fluid for operating said float and tocooperate with said bracket to substantially enclose said float, saidoperating means and said releasing means, said cup being readilyremovable to permit inspection of said float and releasing means,

4:. A control device having, in combination, a support, a valve on saidsupport, a single trip mechanism mounted on saidsupport for holding saidvalve in one position, a float mounted on the support and operativelyconnected to said trip device to release said trip mechanism to permitmovement of said valve to another position, a cup adapted to beremovably secured in surrounding relation relatively to said float andtrip device for receiving liquid to operate said float, a drain cock onsaid cup for removing liquid therefrom, and means operable from theoutside of said cup while it is in position on said support to closesaid valve and reset said trip mechanism.

5. A control device of the character set forth, comprising, incombination, a supporting member, a valve operator on said membermounted formovement betweentwo positions, means mounted on said memberurging said operator to one of its positions, a latch device carried bysaid member and projecting downwardly from its point of attachment tosaid member, said device being operable to releasably secure saidoperator in its other position, a float for operating the latch deviceto release said operator, a cup carried by said member surrounding saidlatch device and said float to provide a receptacle to receive fluid tooperate said float, and means on said member for conducting fluid intosaid cup, said cup being detachably secured to said support.

6. A control device comprising, in combination, a support having adependent arm, a valve operator carried by said sup-port and movablebetween two positions, means urging said operator to one position, alatch device mounted on said arm and operable to releasably secure saidoperator. in its other position, said device including a latch memberconnected with said operator and a movable catch, a float connected tosaid catch and operable to release said latch member, and a cupremovably secured to and supported by said support in surroundingrelation to said latch device and float to receive liquid for operatingsaid device.

7. A control device comprising, in combination, a. bracket adapted to bemounted in a horizontal position and having an upward extensionproviding vertical side walls, a cup removably secured beneath saidbracket and cooperating therewith to form a substantially closedhousing, a first rod extending through opposite vertical side walls ofsaid extension so as to be supported and guided thereby for longitudinalsliding movement, one end of said first rod being adapted for connectionto a valve, resilient means engaging said first rod and one of saidvertical walls within the housing to urge said rod in one direction, alatch device supported by said bracket and operable to releasably securesaid first rod against movement by said means, a second rod slidablymounted in the vertical side walls of said extension, and projectingthrough one of said walls, means connecting said second rod to saidfirst rod and to said latch device operable by said second rod to movesaid first rod against said resilient means and to set said latch devicein operative relation to said first rod, and afloat supported by thebracket and movable by an accumulation of liquid in said cup to operatesaid latch device to release said first rod for movement by saidresilient means.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto alfixed my signature.

GEORGE E. PICKUP.

